Stage Lights || H.S.

the sister

I woke up to noises downstairs. I reached for Harry but found a couple of pillows instead. I didn't know what time it was, or where my phone was, or anything really. My mind was still in the clouds, high from his touch. I wrapped myself in the blanket and got off the bed. I held it tight on my chest as I walked out into the house in search for him. I froze on the bottom of the stairs when I found not only who I was looking for, but also another figure standing by the door.

Harry stood tall with his arms folded on his naked chest and wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, his hair everywhere on top of his head, two red lines marked down his back that I knew was my fault. I was going to turn around and run back upstairs quickly, but before I could, the girl pushed him aside by the arm, making him turn around to find me standing there. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open.

"Sorry, I-- Sorry." I sighed. "I didn't know you had company."

The girl walked in the house. Her arms were also crossed on her chest. She wore a light cream blouse and jeans, her hair bleached to a grey almost white tone brushing above her shoulders, her lips painted red.

"There she is." She smiled walking in my direction. Harry closed the door quickly and followed her footsteps. "Could you please tell H that a little girl's day won't hurt nobody?"

My eyes traveled between the two of them as I finally stepped foot into the living room.

"I--" I started speaking but Harry interrupted me.

"Luna, this is my sister, Gemma."

It felt like the wind got knocked off my lungs. I held the blanket tighter on my chest felling my face burn from embarrassment, wishing I had just stayed in bed until he came back. It wasn't my fault, there's no way I could've known, but that didn't make the humiliation any less. Gemma glanced down my body and back at my face, smiling almost trying to contain the awkwardness of the moment and the shame I felt.

"Lovely to finally meet you." She said to me before turning to Harry. "Mum was right. She is very pretty."

For the first time Harry looked less nervous and embarrassed. He just smirked and nodded agreeing with her. "You know, she looks very nice with clothes on too, you would've known if you warned me you were coming."

"C'mon, Hazz. There's no harm in surprising my little brother and his--"

"Gemma." He interrupted her.

"Right. Soz."

Both of their eyes fell on my again, making me blush. "It's very nice to meet you, Gemma." She stuck her tongue out to Harry before smiling at me. "I'm going to--"

"Good. So while Hazz here goes for his morning workout you and I can go for brunch yeah?"

+++++++++++

I knew that was Harry's worse nightmare, Gemma and I spending the day together. I knew it because he frowned when I agreed on going with her, then followed me into the room and sat on the bed while I got ready giving me a list of reasons why I shouldn't go.

1. Gemma was going to embarrass him.
2. Gemma couldn't be trusted (which I highly doubt it's true, but at this point he was just throwing words in the air).
3. He wanted to spend the day with me since he brought me to London and he was going on tour, and he was going to miss me.
4. He wanted to make sure I was going to be comfortable.
5. He was scared she could say something that set us two steps back when we finally took a step forward.

Although I convinced him I was going to be alright -as I put on some mascara on my eyelashes and he stood tall and still half naked by the doorframe- I was freaking out as I left the house with her. Not only because she was Harry's older sister and probably very protective over her worldwide famous pop and movie star brother, but also because she was intimidating as hell, and seeing me naked wrapped up in a blanket first thing in the morning definitely didn't make a good first impression.

We sat in a nice small cafe and ate eggs benedict on English muffins. I tried not to stare too much but I couldn't help myself. Although her hair was a funny color, her eyes were a bright shade of caramel, her teeth a bit crooked and her accent a lot thicker than his, Harry was the spitting image of Gemma. Their eyes and lips had the same shape, the way her nose moved when she speaks was just like his, and when she smiled and laughed dimples poked on her cheeks.

By the end of brunch I wasn't intimidated by her anymore and learned she's a pretty outgoing and funny person. She asked me about what I did and where I lived, and told me she loves California although she thinks she's more of a New York kind of girl. Gemma talked to me about how she used to work for a charity but then moved on to do freelance writing and it worked out quite well.

"I heard a lot about you, you know." She said, sipping on her tea, her lips pressing together just how Harry did. "I even googled you a bit. Harry's known for, let's say, not making the brighter choices."

"I'm sure you got pretty worried about your brother with what google showed you."

"I did." She replied. "But I also couldn't judge before I met you, and I think you're a nice girl. Not like the tabloids show at all."

"I'm glad you think that."

"I do." She nodded. "I really hope you stick around."

We walked around shops in London, places where she told me Harry could never take me -which was kind of upsetting and a big con of doing what he does, she said. And differently from what Harry expected, Gemma had nothing but good things to say about her brother. She complained that she missed him a lot, said that they were very close growing up and how he grew up singing Elvis Presley in the shower.

Over all, Gemma tried not to focus our conversation around her brother. We shopped at Topshop and she told me that her and Lou are very very close friends, and Lou is in fact the only person that she lets touch her hair. I told her I've met Lou a couple of times and she said she knows, which scared me a bit and made me wonder what they've said about me. She also talked about a girl named Lottie, apparently she's very good with makeup and hair as well, and Louis' sister, who I learned was one of Harry's bandmates in One Direction.

We ended the day meeting Harry at a big pub far from the city center. Gemma's boyfriend, Michael, soon joined us. He came straight from work in a suit outfit that was definitely way too fancy for the place. He was nice and greeted me with the famous European double kiss on the cheeks.

"We were set up on a double date." Harry whispered to my ear making me laugh.

"I don't mind. Your sister is very nice."

"How was it with her? Did she tell you about the Scooby-Doo costume?"

"Scooby-Doo costume?" I asked.

Harry just shook his head and hugged me, leaning down so his head could dive on my mess of hair, his breath felt warm against my neck. A Rolling Stones' song played through the speakers, Harry hummed it on my shoulder before leaving a kiss on the same spot. He let go of his breath as he pulled away, his eyes searching my face, I could tell he was relieved it all went well.

I knew it went well because Gemma moved her hips side to side as she made her way back from the bar with two large cocktail glasses on her hands.

"Did she tell you we're best friends now?" She asked Harry while pushing the drink towards me.

"I think you forgot to tell me about a Scooby-Doo costume." I said making her laugh.

"I can leave that for mum, she'll have pictures to show."

I looked up at Harry with a smile. He leaned down to leave a peck on my lips. "I hope you don't mind going up North tomorrow." I kissed his lips in response.

"Enough with the pda! Gross!" Gemma pushed herself in-between us, making Harry mumble words that were surely offense. She pulled her phone from the back pocked of her jeans and clicked Instagram open. "Here. Let's make it Instagram official."